Grating construction



Nov; 27, 1934. J. M. KEOWN 1,982,109

GRATING CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 3, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l llll lllfl J0 n/Wfieown,

Nov. 27, 1934. J. M. KEOWN 1,982,109

GRATING CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 3, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I fiwerzzb'r' John M Jkozwz,

Patented Nov. 27, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GRATIN G CONSTRUCTION Application September 3, 1931, Serial No. 560,894

9 Claims.

This invention relates to new and improved grating construction, and the present application is a continuation in part of my copending application Serial No. 392,876, filed September 16, 1929.

A general object of the invention is the provision of a grating which may be fabricated out of simple rolled shapes, such as strips or bars, in various designs as regards its reticulation, and in any desired size as regards the surface extent of the fabricated structure; which will possess the qualities of strength requisite for its intended uses, and which may be produced economically and in large quantities with uniformity.

Another object is the provision of a grating which is particularly qualified for use as an armoring or wear-resisting insert for concrete or plastically applied floors or floor surfaces.

Another object is the provision of a grating construction which is particularly adapted to be fabricated in sections of the desired area convenient for handling and installation, and which sections may be joined to one another with accuracy and facility, incident to installation, to form a continuous fabric as over an extensive floor area.

Another object is the provision of a grating construction in which all of the component elements of the respective sections are securely maintained in proper relative positions, so that the sections may be accurately and easily fitted together and united in such fashion as to maintain a uniform grating pattern.

Another object is the provision of a grating construction which may be firmly bonded with a plastic flooring material for the formation of a wearresistant floor surfacing in which all of the elements are retained in the desired relationship and afford one another mutual support and stability.

Other and further objects will be pointed out hereinafter or will be obvious to one skilled in the art upon an understanding of the invention or its employment in practice.

For the purpose of explaining the invention I describe in this specification, and illustrate in the drawings forming a part hereof, one form in which the invention may be embodied, but it is to be understood that this is presented by way of example only and is not to be accorded any interpretation calculated to limit the appended claims short of the true and most comprehensive scope of the invention in the art.

In said drawings I Fig. 1 is a top view of a section of grating embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail in the nature of an edge or marginal view of a bar or strip partly formed;

Fig. 3 is a similar view illustrating the bar or strip as further formed for fabrication of the grating;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the bar or strip formed as illustrated in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a detail in the nature of a cross-section through a typical connection uniting associated bars;

Fig. 6 is a detail in the nature of a side elevational view of same;

Fig. '7 is a perspective illustration showing the manner in which sections of the grating are fitted together in the assembly of a continuous network; and

Fig. 8 is a detail in the nature of a sectional view illustrating the bonding relationship of the grating and the floor surfacing material in a completed installation.

The nature of the invention may be most quickly ascertained from the following explanation of the examples here illustrated. Flat strip steel stock of suitable dimensions, say inch in thickness and inch in width, is shaped so as to form a plurality of separate bars or members 10 of sinuous form, such as illustrated in Fig. 2. Preferably, the relatively offset portions or bights are uniform as to size and contour and. afford staggered contact members 10 and. 10' extending in the longitudinal direction of the bar and in parallel relationship. The contact members 10 along one side of the bar are punched to provide therein generally rectangular apertures 11, the spacing of the members 16 and of said apertures being such that the latter are at uniformly spaced intervals longitudinally of the bar. Parts of the contact members l0 along the other side of the bar are slotted and bent outwardly to form connecting members 12, the size, position and spacing of which are such that they may be inserted through the apertures 11 of correspondingly formed bars and project a suitable distance beyond the opposite sides of the contacting portions 10 of such bar when the latter are in contact with the portions l0 carrying the connecting members. The relative dimensions and locations of the apertures 11 and connecting members 12 are preferably such that when the bars are thus assembled, the connecting members 12 of one bar will contact the ends and top and bottom margins of the apertures 11 of the contacting bar, in which they are inserted, when the margins of said bars are in the same planes. A pair of the bars being thus assembled with the connecting members 12 of one projected through the aperat the other end 'of the section a series of bar tures 11 of the other, the projecting ends of the connecting members are then bent over against the faces of the contacting portions 10 as illustrated in Fig. 5, thus binding the contacting members j 10 and 16 of the two bars in close surface Contact, portions 'of said connecting members of each bar abutting endwardly fac-- -ing surfaces or margins ofthe conjoined bar,

the ends of the aper tures 11, in such relationship as to ho'ld said" as, for example, at

projecting at the; opposite ends of the grating. .Thusalong one end" ofthe' section is series of projecting ends 14 having the apertures 11, and

ends 15 carrying .the connecting members 12.

Likewise along one side of the. section theoutwar'dly presented bights have the apertures, while those along the other side of the grating present the" connecting members.

By virtue of the manner in which the bars of the section are connected to one another, they are retained securely and definitely against shifting longitudinally with respect to one another, so that the section is held against weaving. This insures that all of the projecting bar ends of the se'ections'will be in the proper alignment, and the grating section itself in the proper form, to permit its interfitting accurately, both at ends and at sides, with other like sections. For the purpose of connecting a plurality of the sections into a continuous grating (see Fig. 7), the sections are added at the sides by inserting the connecting members on the marginal bar in one section through the apertures on the marginal. bar of the other section, and then upsetting the connecting members as above described. The sections are connected at the ends in like manner, by inserting the. connecting members of the projecting bar endslfi of one section into the apertures of the projecting bar ends 14 of the other section, and vup's'e'tting'the connecting members in like fashion. In order to permit this connecting up of sections .to beydon'e' rapidly and with accuracy, it is quite important that these interfitting parts be maintained in proper alignment and proper spacing. The presentrc'onstruction accomplishes this highl'y important result very effectively, so that the grating sections will not be distorted by the contemplated handling in shipment and on the job.

As.thus, connected to one another, the sections carry onzthe uniform pattern, so that the lines of junction of the sections are not apparent.

It will be observed that by, virtue of this construction,- a grating of uniform design as to -reticulat-ion may be built to any desired surface dimensions, and also that, by suitable forming of the bars, a greatvariety of designs may be made.

Although a grating of this construction is not well-qualified to support extremely heavy loads :without deflection, it does possess "substantial stiffness and a well knit or strongly connected construction which qualifies it for use where strong, although not necessarily stiff, gratings are .required, such as in window gratings. This con- ,ofa metallic plate or member.

struction isparticularly qualified for use as a reinforcement for wear surfaces, as for inserts or armor in concrete floors and the like, wherein the function of the grating is to take the surface wear. As illustrated'in Fig. 8', the grating maybe disposed on a suitable foundation 16, the lower margins ofthe grating bars resting thereon and the interstices being filled with the concrete or floor witha suitable foundation, or the grating may be directly secured'to the foundation, by welding, for

example, when the foundation is in the nature In such installations the openingsjbetween the connecting members ,12 afford bonding apertures through which the plastic material in each interstice is connected with that in two others. Thus the surfacing material and the grating are securely bonded togetherand each component bar of the grating bonded at its point of connection to the other bars, and the whole secured to the foundation. By providing such a floor armor in a design correspondingin general to that illustrated in the drawing, effective protection of the floor surfacing material is afforded by virtue of the fact. that the maximum spacing of the bar margins" in any direction is approximately the same, and the grating bars may thus support the wearing contact of truck wheels and the like, no matter in which direction the trucks may be rolled over the floor. The term sinuous is used herein to indicate shapes wherein the deflections are angular as well ing provided respectively with a pair of outwardly-'- projecting connecting members, the bars being disposed side byside with the bights of one abutting the bights-of another and with the connecting members of one extending through the apertures of'the other, the connecting members ,on

respective bights being bent over away from each other against the adjacent bar to secure the juxta posed bars rigidly together. I 2. 'Agrating comprising aplurality of bars arranged collaterally in a series, respective bars'being formed with longitudinally spaced laterally off-set portions, such off-set portions at one side of the; respective bars being provided respectively with an aperture therethrough and those at the other side being provided "respectivelywith an aperture and with a pair of outwardly projecting integral connecting members spaced apart by said aperture, the pairs of connecting members of each bar extending through and abutting the end walls of the apertures of a juxtaposed bar and securing the bars together and against relative longitudinal displacement.

.3. A grating as specified in claim 2 and wherein the connecting members on respective contact.

members are bent in opposite directions into retentive engagement with the juxtaposed bar so as to afford open apertures through the conjoined bar portions between the connecting members, for the purpose described.

4. A grating section comprising a plurality of bars sinuously formed to aiiord longitudinally spaced contact members at opposite sides, the bars being disposed on edge in collateral relationship with the salient sides of the contact members of juxtaposed bars in abutment, the contact members on one side of each bar being provided with transverse apertures therethrough and the contact members on the opposite side of each bar being provided with integral connecting members struck outwardly therefrom and inserted through the apertures of the juxtaposed bar and clenched over upon the opposite side of the lat ter bar in a manner to connect the bars firmly and hold them against relative longitudinal movement, the ends of alternate bars projecting at opposite ends of the grating section, and those at one end of the grating section being provided with such apertures and those at the other end of the grating section being provided with such integral connecting members, whereby the grating section may be joined to similar grating sections to form a continuous meshwork.

5. A grating section as specified in claim 4 and wherein the bar contact members along one side of the section are provided with such apertures and those along the opposite side of the section are provided with such connecting members, whereby the section may be connected to similar sections at either side thereof to form a continuous mesh work.

6. A grating section as specified in claim 4 and wherein the sinuous form and disposal of the bars are such as to form a uniform mesh pattern and the form and arrangement of the projecting bar ends are such as to form a continuation of the uniform mesh pattern when the sections are connected to one another.

7. A grating section comprising bars sinuously formed to provide longitudinally spaced contact members at opposite sides, the bars being disposed on edge with the salient sides of the contact members of juxtaposed bars in abutment, the abutting contact members of juxtaposed bars being connected rigidly to each other, the ends of alternate bars projecting at opposite ends of the grating section, the bar ends at one end of the section and the contact members along one side of the section being provided with apertures, and the bar ends at the other end of the section and contact members along the other side of the section being provided with integral connecting members, whereby the section may be connected to similar sections at either end or side to form a continuous meshwork of uniform pattern 8. A grating section comprising bars sinuously formed to afford longitudinally spaced contact members along opposite sides thereof, the bars being disposed on edge with the salient sides of the contact members of juxtaposed bars in abutment, the contact members on one side of each bar being provided with transverse apertures therethrough and the contact members along the opposite side of each bar being provided with outwardly struck connecting members inserted through the apertures of the juxtaposed bar and cooperating with the latter to definitely determine and fix the relative longitudinal positions of the bars, said contact members being clenched over upon the juxtaposed bar to hold the bars against separation, the contact members along one side of the section having apertures and those along the other side of the section having connecting members, whereby the section may be connected to like sections to form a continuous meshwork.

9. A grating comprising a plurality of bars sinuously formed to provide bights arranged alternately at opposite sides, respective bights at one side of each bar being provided with a transverse aperture therethrough and respective bights at the other side of each bar being provided with an aperture and outs/truck connecting members, the bars being arranged collaterally with the salient sides of the bights of juxtaposed bars in abutment and with the apertures of the abutting bights in registry, the connecting members of respective bars being inserted through but not filling the apertures in the adjacent bars and clenched to hold the bars firmly together and against relative longitudinal displacement, thereby maintaining unobstructed bonding apertures through the abutting bights.

JNO. M. KEOWN. 

